MIDDLETOWN — Mayor Daniel T. Drew is again at odds with Stephen H. DeVoto, a Wesleyan University professor and the chairman of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

The two men have frequently been at odds with one another over the past 10 years.

What set off the latest tit-for-tat spat was a post DeVoto put up on the Middletown Eye at 6 a.m. Monday.

It includes a photograph of a campaign sign for William Russo, the city’s director of public works and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for mayor.

The sign stands in front of the Charton Apartments on Newfield Street, and beneath a flagpole flying both the American flag and a “Trump 2020” flag, according to DeVoto’s post.

The post also includes the following comment:

“Ted Charton is one of the city’s most visible supporters of Donald Trump, with large ‘Trump 2020’ flags flying at several of his properties.

“Following a landslide which partially blocked the Coginchaug River in March of 2010, Charton was the beneficiary of at least $15,000 of work done by the Public Works department,” the post alleged. “Bill Russo is the Director of Public Works.”

Drew struck back at at 9:59 a.m. Wednesday, when he posted a response — even though DeVoto’s post made no mention of the mayor.

“I hope Stephen Henri DeVoto’s academic writing is more honest than his ‘journalism,’” it said.

“In this article, he alleges (falsely) that Bill Russo has garnered support from a local Republican because he got work done on his property by the DPW (also false).

“He ignores, though, that he has had the city do work on his own property on Country Club Road at a cost of WAY more than $15,000.

“DeVoto himself has also supported local Republicans for years, going so far as to endorse many of them publicly and then claim to be a progressive Democrat,” the post said.

“Below I have attached photos of emails to and from DeVoto about work being done on his property by the city to correct a drainage issue,” the post said. “Stephen DeVoto’s house is ALL glass,” it said in closing.

During a telephone conversation Wednesday, DeVoto said, “I made no such allegation” against Russo.

He said a landslide blocked the river, adding that Charton allegedly “was found to be liable” for the landslide.

The Common Council subsequently allocated $15,000 to clear away the debris to enable the river to flow freely, DeVoto said.

“I did not then and I do not now accuse Mr. Russo” of acting inappropriately, DeVoto said. “It was the mayor who made that connection, not me.”

About Drew’s reference to work done on his property, DeVoto said, “The DPW did rectify a problem that was caused by work that was done by the department on an upstream property.”

The upstream work, which took place in 2016, caused “an enormous amount of silt” to flow downstream into a pond on DeVoto’s property.

There is no connection between the Charton incident and the clearing of his pond, DeVoto said.

Early Thursday, Drew alleged DeVoto has a history of making “false allegations” and the slur against Russo is just the latest example of that.

DeVoto said the bad feelings between the two grew out of a letter he wrote to the Wesleyan campus newspaper, the Argus, encouraging Wesleyan faculty and students who live in the city to vote for Drew’s Republican challenger in the 2009 election.

“I just felt that the Republican candidate would make a better mayor because he was more committed to community policing, find for education and acquisition of open space, which are all progressive values that are important to me,” he said.

“And the mayor continues to bear a grudge as a result of that,” DeVoto said. As a result, “He feels the need to attack me.”

“I bear him no grudge. I would like to be able to work with him,” DeVoto continued.

In response, Drew, who is not running for re-election, said, “The issue isn’t my relationship with him.”

Drew said DeVoto “should retract the things he has said.”

“He is implying corruption” in the post that mentions Russo, Drew said. “That’s blatantly untrue, and he should apologize for making that allegation.”

“If I have made any factual errors, I will most certainly make an apology. However, none have been brought to my attention,” DeVoto said Thursday afternoon.

Drew also said he is vexed by the fact that DeVoto “is a guy who chooses Democratic candidates and yet he has repeatedly supported Republicans.”